[News] Court convicts man for fraudulent impersonation over $66,000 scam

 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC have secured the conviction of one Kelvin Tobe Igboamaeze before Justice M. Zubairu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Kurudu, Abuja on a four count charge bordering on cheating by personation.

 

Count one of the charge reads: “That you, AUGUSTUS KELVIN GBOAMAEZE (Cubana wire) sometime in April, 2018 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did cheat by personation, by pretending to be Cubana, a Wire Engineer working in Ukraine, via www.gmail.com and obtained the sum of $66,000 (Sixty-Six Thousand Dollars) from Patti Jackson, an American citizen through Google Cards and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 321 of the Penal Code, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under section 324 of the same Act”.

Another count read: “That you AUGUSTUS KELVIN IGBOAMAEZE sometime in April, 2018 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did cheat by personation, by pretending to be David Wilson, an Engineer working in Ukraine, via www.gmail.com and obtained the sum of $3,000 (Three Thousand Dollars) from Clara, an American citizen through Google Card and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 321 of the Penal Code, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under section 324 of the same Act”.

 

He pleaded “guilty” to the charges.

 

In view of his plea, prosecuting counsel, Maryam Aminu Ahmad, urged the Court to convict him accordingly.

 

Justice Zubairu convicted and sentenced the defendant to three months imprisonment on each of the four count charges, or an option of fine of Fifty Thousand Naira (N50, 000) on each for the counts. The Court ordered the forfeiture of items recovered from him during arrest, including an iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 11 Pro, MacBook Air Laptop and a gold chain.

 

The Court further ordered that the sum of Four Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($4,750), a draft of Six Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty- two Thousand, Five Hundred Naira (N6, 952, 500) raised by the defendant be restituted to the victim.